The one with Joey and Rachel
by pseudonym871
Summary: Taking place in season 8 while Rachel is pregnant with Ross's child. Joey is going above and beyond with helping Rachel get ready to have a child.
1. The One where It Begins

Joey opens the door to find Rachel curled up in his chair watching Cujo after walking out on his date to come home and see her. He does not think anything of it as he slams the door shut. Rachel jumps and lets out a yelp before turning to see who was at the door.

"God! Thank God you're home. I'm watching Cujo."

"Alone," Joey questions her.

"Yes," she affirms, "Well, what is wrong with this dog?"

Joey smirks and crosses over to her while spoiling the movie, "Hey, did you get to the park where they're trapped in the car and Cujo's throwing himself at the windshield?"

"No," she whines. "No, seriously what's wrong with the dog? Wait a minute, what are doing home so early, what happened to your date?"

His arms are crossed and he shrugs off her question, "Oh, uh…didn't work out."

She pauses the movie and asks him to join her and Joey agrees as he pulls over a barstool from the counter. Rachel questions this, "What are you doing? Come sit here so you can protect me," she gestures to the arm of the chair.

Joey seems taken aback, "Oh, sure. Yeah. Why not?" He stands and climbs onto the chair while Rachel realigns herself and covers him with the blanket she was using. Starting the movie Rachel gets worked up while Cujo attacks. She covers her eyes and pulls him closer to her to bury herself into Joey's muscular side.

"Seriously, how can you watch this aren't you scared?"

A look of fear does come across Joey's face as he mutters, "Terrified," and wraps his arms around her. He bites into his lip to prevent himself kissing her, he could not do that to Rachel she was far too important to him to allow her to become just another one of his girls.

"Ahh," she squealed as she pushed her face against his chest and laced her leg over his lap. He felt himself turn into her and rub his cheek against her hair. He bit his tongue as to keep from telling her she smelled good and his stomach was getting fluttery.

Rachel's heart was beating rapidly as she snuggled against Joey's tough frame, his arms were warm around her and she could not help but peek up at Joey instead of the screen. She smiled as he began to run his fingers through her hair, to her embarrassment he noticed and tapped her smile gently, "What's that about?"

"Oh, I was just thinking…"

He thought for a moment, "Ooooh, you're thinking about Cujo as a puppy before he got mean."

Rachel grinned again, "No, I was just thinking about how you were willing to give up everything and marry me to make sure I would be okay."

"That wouldn't be giving up everything," Joey blurted out.

She paused the movie and looked up into his face. Her typical poutey, questioning look came across her face, "What do you mean?"

Joey felt as if he had stuck his foot into his mouth, "Well, I just mean – uh, don't think I'm weird but I just think that any man who got to be with you would be a very lucky one… You know – uh, you're a catch."

"A catch?"

"Well just think of how strong you are. Do you remember when you first came to New York?" Joey stroked her head as thought back to the day he had first seen Rachel. She had raced into Central Perk in a wedding dress and seemed distressed. "You chose not to marry a man you didn't love, you chose to give up your father's money and search after your own career and you're really good at it, and now you chose to raise a baby on your own. You are so strong and smart and beautiful," he bit into his lip and stopped petting her hair.

"Joey," he could see in her face that she knew.

He swallowed and climbed out of the chair while he shrugged his shoulders, "Well, I'm just saying."

"Joey," she clutched the blanket to her chest as she stood up. The distance between them was overbearing and she walked to where he now leaned against the counter. She could tell that he looked uncomfortable. She placed the blanket on the foosball table, "Joey did you mean all of that?"

He rubbed his head and avoided eye contact, "Well yeah. I think you're really wonderful."

"So are you." Rachel corned him at the counter and grabbed his hands. She bit her lip out of nervousness and Joey just wanted to kiss her.

Instead he pulled his hands from hers and placed them on her hips, "What about Cujo?"

"Joey."

"We should get back to watching our movie."

"Joey," Rachel grabbed his hand and he placed some distance between them.

"I was thinking I was going to go steal from pastrami from Chandler and make us some sandwiches or something. Or –or maybe I ought to-"

"Joey!"

He turned around to look at her, she was beautiful. So relaxed around him and he was wrong. This was against the rules. He could not have these feelings. But he could not continue to fight himself before Rachel was pressed against him, pressing her lips to his. He wrapped his strong arms around her and kissed her back for a few moments before pushing away from her, "Rachel… is this wrong? This is wrong." He leaned in slightly as if to kiss her again but he stopped himself, "I can't. I'm so sorry."

Rachel threw open the door to Monica and Chandler's apartment in search of Monica but only found Chandler lounging on the couch flipping through television stations. "Is Monica here?"

"Nope," he announced deadpan without turning from the screen.

"When will she be back?"

He turned over his shoulder, "I'm not really sure. She went out shopping with Phoebe remember?"

"Oh."

Chandler sighed, he could hear it in her voice. "Is something wrong? Why don't you sit down?"

Rachel hesitated and then walked over to the chair across from him. "I kissed Joey," she covered her mouth as she said this, embarrassed.

Chandler tore his eyes from the screen and then glanced back before turning off the television. "So he told you he loves you?"

"What?"

Chandler's eyes widened and he looked panicked, "Judging by your reaction, I guess he didn't."

"He loves me?"

"Well," he stalled, "how do you feel?"

"I'm pregnant."

"Hold on," Chandler said, "let me add to my list of reasons not to get Monica pregnant. Pregnant women don't feel love," he laughed at himself.

"Really Chandler?" She sighed, "I don't know how I feel. I'm hormonal and Joey, he's always there for me but I'm pregnant with Ross' baby."

Chandler sighed, "Listen, I love Ross. He's been my best friend for years, he's my brother-in-law but he's with Mona now. You know he'll be there for you and the baby but I think he's moved on. The real question is, have you moved on?"

"Yes."

"And you kissed Joey, so you obviously feel something there."

Rachel bit her nails, "But it didn't work out with Ross or Tag or Paul. Let's face it, I can't hold a relationship. Either a relationship will last forever or it will end, have you ever thought about that?"

"Yeah, didn't work out for my parents."

"…Exactly."

Chandler frowned, "It may not have worked out for you and Ross but what about Monica and me?"

Rachel knocked on the door of the bathroom but didn't wait for a response before rushing in. "I'm so sorry, I just really really have to pee. The baby keeps kicking my bladder."

"Oh, it's no problem really!" Said the unfamiliar female voice in the shower.

Rachel paused and titled her head toward the shower, "I'm sorry, I just thought it was Joey in here."

"He's here too!"

"Uh, good morning Rach," he sounded uncomfortable

She hurried and got out of the bathroom and went back to hiding in her bedroom, after about forty minutes Joey knocked at the door and sat down to talk with her. "Listen, I'm sorry you had to see that."

"It's fine. Don't worry about it," she tried to smile and put her hand to her stomach.

"It's not fine… I've been avoiding you all week and I'm sorry."

Rachel shook her head and flicked through the pages of her book as if disinterested but her eyes stung a little bit. "Sweetie, don't worry about it. I put you in a really uncomfortable position."

"Can we watch Cujo?" Joey asked, his forehead was wrinkled when he said this.

"I don't know what to say Joey. I think right now I need to focus on bringing this baby into the world."

Joey sighed, "I missed my chance."

Rachel looked down and didn't answer.

"Rachel, that girl in there… she didn't – it wasn't fair to do to you."

She looked up at him, "I should be used to it by now."

"That would stop."

There were tears in her eyes when she asked her question, "What do you mean by that?"

"I want to be with you, Rach."

A tear slipped out of her eye, "I can't right now. I just need to get ready for the baby."

He reached out and snatched the tear, "Please, I don't want to be the reason that you cry. What can I do?"

"I'm not sure, I need to get ready for work."

But she didn't go to work, instead she went to Ross' apartment.

"Are you excited," Ross asked as he handed Rachel a cup of tea. "Only a few months left to go!"

The color left Rachel's face. "All you're doing right now is reminding me how fat I am getting and more than that I am just not ready for this! We don't have anything. The apartment I'm in is too small, I don't know what the future holds and honestly I'm just scared. Weren't you scared when Ben was on the way?"

"Well of course, but just wait until the baby is here. I know it's scary. I'm scared now. I'm scared about Ben every day. As a parent you live in fear that you're going to do something wrong. But at the end of the day, that little baby is going to look up at you and just love you."

Rachel rubbed her stomach, "She'll love me no matter what?"

Ross sat across from Rachel on his coffee table and put his hand on her knee. "Of course, you'll always be loved. We're a family."

"Can I talk to you about something? You have to promise not to be angry."

Ross nodded to egg her on.

"If I had feelings for someone, would you be okay with that?"

He sat back, "Of course. Rach, I just want you to be happy. Aren't you happy that I'm with Mona?"

"Yes, I am. I am, I just – how would you feel if it was someone you knew?"

"_Susan_."

She giggled, "No, nothing like that. It's just that, I kissed Joey."

"Joey? Joey! You kissed Joey?"

Rachel stood up, "You promised!"

Ross took a deep breath, "I just never saw this coming. You and Joey? How did this even happen? When did this happen?"

"Are you jealous?"

"No!" Ross shouted. "I'm not jealous at all!"

"Okay, I just wanted to tell you."


	2. The One where Rachel is Alone

Phoebe was seated on Monica and Chandler's couch with her guitar singing loudly. "There once was a man named Chandler he worked as a blahblahler-"

"Phebs, you _still _don't know what I do?"

"He spent his days eating Lays and doing whatever Monica told him to dooooooo."

"I KNOW!" Monica screeched.

"You still don't know what I do? Are you serious?" Chandler threw himself down in the chair defeated.

"Okay," Monica walked over to the couch, "do you want to hear a bit of gossip?"

"DO I?" Phoebe chirped.

"A little birdie told me that Rachel-"

Chandler sighed, "Oh God, you know that she kissed Joey?"

"What," Monica and Phoebe shouted in unison.

He buried his head in his hands, "You didn't know."

Monica perched herself on the side of the couch, "So let me get this straight… _Rachel _kissed _Joey?_ Not Ross but Joey? Are you kidding?"

"About as serious as a cat in heat."

Phoebe laughed, "What does that even mean?"

"I don't know, it just sort of came out." Chandler sighed, "But you guys can't tell anyone I told you. I think I'm the only one Rachel told."

"Wait Rachel told you? Not Joey," Monica was in disbelief. "I mean we've all known that Joey loves her but Rachel too?"

"Rachel what," she said as she opened the door and stole an apple off of the table.

The gang got quiet but Phoebe was quick to jump in, "Totally gets sick of Ross telling everyone that 'YOU WERE ON A BREAK!'"

"Oh yeah I do," she sneered, "Who is trying to roll that line off on now?"

"Me," Phoebe sighed.

"What?" Rachel seemed annoyed, "Ross is trying to get with you?"

Phebs laughed hysterically, "As iffffff, he was just talking about women always want to know why he's been married so many times and why he can't keep a good relationship going."

Rachel bit into the apple, "You want to know why he can't keep a relationship? Because he lives in the past, he can't move by something and he acts on impulse."

"You act on impulse too don't you?" Phoebe asked.

"I guess we all do," Rachel answered.

"JOEY!" Monica rushed into his apartment screaming.

"What, whaaaat?" He ran out of his bedroom where he had been hiding the past week and a half.

"How could you?"

"What how could I what?" He thought for a moment, "Ohhh, you mean that tuna wasn't for me? It was just so could I couldn't help myself to a good sandwich. And then the sugar cookies, how could I turn those down?"

"You took my food too? C'mon Joey!" She smacked his arm with an oven mitt.

"I thought you were used to that by now."

"No…. no how could you kiss Rachel?"

He dropped his jaw, "Who told you?"

"Chandler."

Joey rubbed his face, "How did Chandler find out?"

"Um, Rachel…"

He ran his hand through his hair, "Was she mad? What did she say?"

"Why would she be angry," Monica reached into his cabinet and picked up a glass to fill with water.

"I kind of…ran away."

"You ran away?"

"Well-YEAH!" He flung his arms out in typical Joey fashion.

"Why?"

"Because she's ya know, Ross's ex."

Monica rolled her eyes, "So just because she dated Ross for a year you can't have feelings for her… Wait, do you have feelings for her or do you just want to sleep with her?"

"No! I could ya know, poke it."

She set her glass down on the small counter and pointed at him, "Wait, are you telling me that you think that you could poke the baby?"

"Well-YEAH. I don't want that to be one of its first experiences. Getting poked in the eye with, ya know!"

She leaned over the counter toward him, "So you think that you could poke the baby? Do you have any idea how the female reproductive system works?

"Ya know, you got the vagina, and that's connected to the Philipp Eon Tubes and if my thing goes through the cervix I could poke it!"

Monica just stared at him, "Trust me, there is no way it is physically possible for you to poke the baby."

"Really?"

She crossed her arms, "Oh so now you're interested?"

"Well I've always been interested."

She was fast asleep when the door banged closed, Rachel did not think much of it because sometimes when Joey was drunk or with a girl he tended to be a little too loud. She was in and out of sleep while the rustling in the other room continued. When the door to her bedroom erupted open.

She shot up in bed and tried to acclimate her eyes to light. "Joey?"

"Shit," the voice said.

"Who-who are you," Rachel leapt out of bed and reached for anything she could find and her hand landed on a hardcover novel. She approached him, "Who are you? JOEY!"

"What's happening in there," a second voice followed the first one into the room. They were both wearing masks.

"Oh my God," Rachel yelled. "Who are you?! Get out!" She threatened them with the book. "What do you want? JOEY!"

"Shut up bitch," the first voice said approaching her.

"Don't hurt me, I'm pregnant!" Rachel quivered as she yelled. "CHANDLER! CHANDLER HELP ME! JOEY!"

The man charged at her shoving her against the wall, "Listen to me you blonde knocked up bitch." The man pulled a black gun from his hoodie and pressed it against her round tummy, "I will, don't you think I won't."

There were tears pouring down her face, "Not my baby please. Take anything else. I have money, I have cards… I won't even report them stolen you can just use them all you want. Not my baby please."

The handle to the main door started to rattle and the second man shut himself into the room with Rachel. The first man placed his hand over her mouth and whispered, "If you make any noise," he nudged the gun against her stomach once more. She nodded.

"Hey Rach," Joey called out.

The man shook head at her and she listened to Joey move around in the other room. "Hmm, that's weird," he said to himself. "I've never seen this duffle bag before… and it's not like Rachel is working out right now." They listened to him unzip the bag, "What the-Uh Rach are you here?" Rachel cried as she listened to Joey walk toward her door and knock, "Rachel?"

The man with the gun walked toward the door and got it ready to shoot.

"JOEY RUN," Rachel shouted.

The man lunged across the room and pistol whipped Rachel in the face. She let out a screech and the door burst open. "Rachel?"

The second man jumped onto Joey while the first one grabbed Rachel and put his gun to her head. Joey struggled with the man on the floor. "CHANDLER," he hollered and only a few moments later Chandler and Monica burst into the room.

"What's going o-"

"Oh my God," Monica screamed.

At this point Monica and Chandler had only seen the man wrestling with Joey on the floor. Chandler was about to intervene when Monica ran at the man and pulled him off of Joey. She landed a good punch to his jaw. "Who are you," Monica ripped off his ski mask. "Memorize this face," she said to Chandler.

Joey was already in the other room, "Get that gun away from her."

"Here's how this is going to go," the man said while Rachel cried in his arms that she was feeling contractions. The man looked down at her, "Here's how this this going to go, I'm going to walk out of her with my buddy and that's that."

Joey inched closer to the man, "Let go of Rachel."

The man pushed her on the bed and pointed his gun at Joey and began to walk out of the room. He pointed it at Monica once past Joey because she seemed like more of a threat than Chandler and the two men left the apartment.

Joey rushed to Rachel who was sobbing on the bed. He pulled her into his arms, "Are you okay? Are you alright Rachel? I am so sorry I wasn't here."

"Chandler call 911," Monica barked as she rushed into the room with Joey and Rachel. "Oh, Rachel are you okay?"

She was crying incomprehensibly, "My baby, I think she's coming. She's too early," her arms were wrapped around her stomach and Joey rocked her back and forth.

"Shh, shhhhhh," Joey hissed into her ear and as he pet her hair. We're going to go to the hospital, they'll take care of you there. Mon," he said gently and calmly, "why don't you call and ambulance for Rachel and we'll wait right here. We won't move. Right Rachel."

She was still sobbing but she confirmed that she would not move. He continued to pet her hair and try to soothe her. "It's okay, it's okay, you're going to be alright honey. I am here now. I've got you and nothing bad is going to happen. We're going to go to the hospital, and hopefully it's only Braxton Hicks again. Remember when that happened. You're going to be okay."

"My water broke, Joey."

Joey kissed her head as he pet her. "That's alright. You're going to be okay."

Chandler walked back into the room to see how they were.

Joey turned to him, "You need to call Ross and tell him that he needs to meet us at the hospital. If Monica hasn't already called an ambulance tell her to call them and if she has tell her to call them again. Then call Phebs and tell her to meet us there too. Make sure you tell them that this is all going to be okay."

"Alright…Rachel," Chandler spoke softly.

"Mhm?"

"I love you. You're strong, you can do this," and then he left the room again.


End file.
